1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to window cleaning apparatus having a rotatable cleaning head which is fully rotatable when positioned on a window surface. The structure of the apparatus eliminates the need for manually removing the head to achieve its re-orientation. The apparatus optionally includes a rotatable fluid supply conduit for the delivery of a washing fluid to the cleaning head.
2. Description of Related Art
Several types of devices have been used for cleaning windows. A typical device usually contains a handle and a cleaning element such as a wiper or sponge, each of which is attached to a cleaning head. Extensions are connected to the handle when the device is used to clean windows in high locations. Some of the devices are also equipped with a tube which delivers a washing fluid from a pressurized source such as a tank or water tap, to the cleaning head for application to the window. A device of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,655,585. The cleaning head and its associated cleaning element are not rotatable on the surface of a window. Thus, the operator is required to manipulate the handle in order to change the orientation of the cleaning element. Such re-orientation provides the most effective way to clean window edges and corners and to clean windows that are not of the normal rectangular configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,702 describes a device having a rotatable cleaning head which facilitates the cleaning of window edges and corners. The number of parts and their structural arrangement make this device more expensive than standard devices and also make it more prone to mechanical failure because of corrosion or part malfunction. U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,616 discloses a device having a rotatable cleaning head which is more rugged than other devices that use ball joints to impart rotatability to a cleaning head. The disadvantage of this device is that the cleaning head must be manually removed from the handle and manually repositioned thereon to achieve its re-orientation.
The objects of the present invention are to provide a window cleaning apparatus which has a cleaning head that is rotatable to any orientation on the surface of a window without the need for its manual removal and repositioning; to provide a window cleaning apparatus that is sturdy, economic and efficient for cleaning corners and edges of windows of any shape; and to provide a window cleaning apparatus that has a fluid supply conduit with a rotatable union for preventing the conduit's twisting and failure.